Miro Sikdang has just moved to Wausan. The food was already great at the old place, but I heard it had been upgraded even further, so there was no way I could skip a visit.

Miro Sikdang

It is completely clean and stylish now, though a bit smaller in scale. In exchange, they now take reservations. Given that the dishes are built on seasonal ingredients prepared day by day, taking bookings in advance seems like the right call.

Braised tofu

They serve this as the otoshi, but I arrived late so this was all that was left. Time for a drink the moment you sit down.

Beer first

The creamy beer is as good as ever.

Old-school salad

Turning anything you make into a drinking snack is a talent in itself.

Steamed clams

A steamed dish packed with clams this fresh is hard to find even in Japan. It is a menu item only Miro Sikdang can pull off.

Fish jeon

I am working my way through the new standard menu one dish at a time, and the fish jeon is well done too. Once winter comes and the fish fattens up it should get even better, which makes me look forward to it all the more.

Fried pork

There is a tangsuyuk version and a plain fried version, and I went for the plain fried one. It is tasty on its own, but the batter is seasoned, which makes it perfect as a drinking snack. The Ilpum Jinro soju just kept going down..

Grilled pork shoulder

The signature dish. It is one of those menu items with the side effect of making you drink a lot because the food is just too good.

I tried the plum wine too.

On its own it is a bit light; mixing it with Hwayo would probably work well.

Swordfish sashimi

Apparently the owner of Kuma in Yeouido sent it over, and the portion is very generous. For a moment I felt like I was at a tuna place..

Whole steamed squid

The owner brought one out on the house because we were eating so well. It was full of roe, and the innards were wonderfully rich. A dish that is only possible because he goes to Noryangjin himself.

Since the ingredients that come in change from day to day, completing the whole menu in one sitting is no longer possible. You have to go many times and work through it one dish at a time. The food has been upgraded so much compared to before that I was very satisfied. The one problem is that it is a bit hard to get to. You can walk up from the Hongdae main gate, come from the Sanullim Theater side, or take the village bus from Sinchon, and none of them is particularly convenient. Still, seeing that business is booming, the seats are full and the tables keep turning over, I really felt how much Korea’s dining culture is changing.

Tiramisu from Bistecca

It was fine, but the portion was large so I left some. We did order a lot of food, to be fair..

Moving on to Factory for a Negroni

I accidentally shot this with the flash on, but it came out well.. sorry.. The owner of Factory has opened a second branch over by Gongdeok Xi and was looking busy. I also had dessert from Un Grain that day, but no photos survived. No matter. Aoyama is somewhere I can always go back to.

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